Page 17 of Darkest Game (The Dark Mafia #3)

Chapter Nine

Liam

I see the car disappear around the corner before I’m able to grab the keys to my car, slip on my shoes, and run outside. I don’t bother putting a shirt back on. Elaine is going to hurt Irina. Possibly even kill her.

And I can’t let that happen.

For whatever reason, I care for Irina. The urge to protect her is something I’ve never felt for another woman. I have to save her now.

But of course, nothing can be that simple.

I reach my stolen car in the parking lot when I feel someone behind me. Then the cold steel of a gun is pressed against my back.

“You’re not going anywhere.” It’s Mikhail. Fuck. He grabs my shoulder and spins me around. Nico is with him.

“I didn’t even see you two pull up.”

Nico smirks. “We just got here. Got a tip that you were at this motel. Elaine Finnigan was keen enough to tell us. She got lucky when the car you stole still had the phone of the man it belonged to in it and she was able to track the car for us to here.”

“To kill me?” I ask. “Because if you kill me, then you’ll never get Irina.”

“Where is she?” Mikhail growls.

“Oh. Elaine just took her. To have her be ganged raped and killed. I can get her back if you let me go.”

Nico scoffs. “We don’t fucking believe you, Liam. We found Elaine. She told us that you killed her husband and stole Irina. That you wanted to rape her.”

“And you believe her word over mine?”

“Yes,” Mikhail says flatly. “The woman was in clear distress when we found her. And word going around is that you did, in fact, kill Jack. So I’m inclined to believe her.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not good. Irina is going to be tortured by Elaine and these two fuckers are going to kill me before I get the chance to save her.

“Fine. Check the motel. Tell me if you see Irina. Because she’s not here. And when you find out she’s not here, you’re going to wonder where she is and only I know so killing me won’t get you anywhere.”

“Check the room,” Mikhail orders.

Nico rolls his eyes. “I’m not a dog for you to bark at.” But he goes inside the motel anyway and checks the room. After a moment, he comes back out. “The fucker is right. Irina isn’t in there.”

“Then go to the front desk and ask them if he checked out multiple rooms. He could be hiding her in another room.”

“I want to threaten Liam. Why don’t you go do it?”

Mikhail huffs. “Because I have a gun on him. You go do it.”

With a grumble, Nico heads to the front office.

“I don’t have Irina,” I grit out. “Elaine took her. She’s fucking insane. You don’t know the full story.”

“I know that you took Irina from my own house, right under my nose. I know that you killed Jack Finnigan. I know that you took Irina on the run just to torture me and Nico.”

“Neither of you actually care about her? Do you?”

“I love my wife and Nico loves his wife. We’re doing this for them. They’re the ones being tortured by their sister being missing. Think about that, Liam. Think about how you’re hurting innocent women just for your own game.”

“It was Jack’s game. He was the one who told me to steal your wife and Nico’s wife. Irina just happened to be there and was easier to take. But I didn’t ask for this.”

“Bullshit.” He slams his hand against the top of the car. The sound makes me flinch and I’m not proud of that. “You kidnapped Natalya and Sasha once before for fun.”

“True. And I almost died because of it. It’s why I had no desire to do it again. I know you have no reason to believe me, Mikhail. But Irina is in danger right now. Keeping me hostage here isn’t going to help.”

“Like you care about her. You kidnapped her.”

“I…” I have no response because I know in my gut that I care about Irina. Even though I’ve only known her a short time, I do know that I want to protect her. That I want to see her safe. Even if she is a Russian. That doesn’t matter anymore.

“She’s my wife,” is all I can say.

Mikhail scoffs. “She’s not your wife. You forced her to marry you.”

“And you didn’t force your own wife?”

“Natalya came to me willingly.”

“And Sasha? Did she go to Nico willingly?”

Mikhail hesitates. “That’s not important.”

“But it is. You judge me but you and Nico are no better. I thought you two were enemies. You’re only working together because of your wives.

Otherwise, you’d have killed each other by now.

Well, I’m married to Irina. Let me work with you.

Let me join the alliance. We can grow even stronger because of it. ”

“I would rather die than work with Irish scum like you.”

Nico comes back, shaking his head. “The desk clerk told me that Liam didn’t purchase any other room. I threatened him into telling me the truth and he was adamant that he was. I think Liam’s right. Irina’s not here.”

Mikhail shoves his gun right against my head. “Then where is she? Where did you put her?”

“I told you. Elaine took her. She’s not some innocent woman like she appears.

She hated Irina because Jack was going to claim Irina on our wedding night.

She couldn’t hurt Jack so she wanted Irina to hurt instead.

I killed Jack and that pissed her off. So she then kidnapped the two of us and tried to have Irina ganged raped.

But I saved her. Now Elaine is going to make it happen again.

And you’re here wasting all of our time.

I have to save her. It’s the only thing I can do. You have to believe me.”

“An interesting story you got there,” Nico says. “I almost believe it. But I hate you so I don’t actually believe you.”

“We’re going to get the truth out of you yet,” Mikhail growls. “And we’re going to find Irina.”

“You’re going to find Irina a shell of who she is after she’s been ganged raped. Because that’s what Elaine wants.”

“She’s a woman,” Nico says. “Why would a woman do that to another woman? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I keep telling you: it’s because she’s fucking insane.

There isn’t any other reason. She’s angry over her husband’s death and she partially blames Irina for it.

She wants her to suffer. We can work together to get Irina back.

I’ll let her go. I don’t need to be married to her.

” Though even as I say the words, I feel a pang in my chest at the thought of never seeing Irina again.

It makes no fucking sense to me and yet, it’s there, deep inside.

Mikhail and Nico exchange a look. “Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Mikhail asks.

Nico shakes his head. “No. He’s an Irish mobster. I’ve only ever known them for being liars. So no, I don’t believe him.”

“But what if he’s telling the truth?”

Nico hesitates. “Then we make him take us to where he thinks Irina is and see if he’s telling the truth or not.”

“It’s worth a shot. But I don’t want him leading us on a wild goose chase. Irina could be hidden somewhere. Hurt. Dying. Natalya will never forgive me if her sister dies and I didn’t save her.”

“Neither will Sasha. She’ll hate me forever.”

As the two men talk, I slide my keys into the car and turn the lock. Then I rip open the door and dive inside. Mikahil whips around and tries to grab me but I slam the door shut before he can get me. He points the gun at the window.

“I will shoot you.”

I ignore him and slam on the gas pedal. Mikahil fires his gun and it does hit the window, but the bullet misses me. I drive away as Mikhail and Nico scramble to follow. Fuckers. Idiots. They wasted precious time I have in getting Irina back.

Elaine could have taken Irina anywhere but she would want to keep it quiet. Make sure no one heard Irina’s screams or saw anything suspicious. There’s only one place I know that’s secluded enough.

I’m hoping that Elaine is not original and will have taken Irina back to the house in the woods where the kennels are. If Irina is not there, then fuck. I have no idea where else she could be. And I’m running out of time.

Irina

Elaine sits next to me in the back seat of the car, pressing a gun to my temple.

“Don’t get any ideas of trying to run,” she warns, jabbing the gun against my head.

I wince. She jabs me again and laughs. “I’m enjoying this.

Your pain. You thought you could steal my husband from me.

You thought you could fuck him without any consequences.

Well, now you’re going to know what it’s like to be fucked.

” She nods at the driver and the other man in the passenger seat.

“These men can’t wait to claim you for the first time. ”

“How can you do this to me?” I whisper. “You’re a woman. How can you hurt me like this?”

“Because I hate you. I hate how pretty you are. How innocent you are. How men want you.”

“What if I was your daughter?”

“I don’t have any daughters. And if I did, I would hate them for being better than me. I would make sure they were never as pretty as me. Not as smart. I would make them dumb and ugly.”

“You’re horrible.”

“No. I’m a woman in this harsh world. I’m just doing what I have to do to survive.”

“Hurting me isn’t going to make you stronger. It’s not going to help you survive. It’s only putting you in danger. Liam will come save me and he’ll kill you.”

“You actually think Liam cares about you?” She jams the gun harder against my temple. “He was forced to marry you. I’m sure he’ll be glad once you’re out of his life.”

“He’s killed for me. Multiple times now. Your husband being one of them.” Maybe it’s my fear but it’s making me stronger. Making me bolder.

Elaine’s face twists into an ugly mask. “Your ugly. I’m going to make two men rape you.

I could have made a whole team of them take you.

Night after night. Day after day. Hour after hour.

Your body would be so bent and broken, you’d die from that alone.

Maybe I’ll have the men take a knife and shove it right into your cunt. ”

I shiver. “Please. Please have some humanity.”